How do you pronounce 同仇敌忾?

同仇敌忾 is pronounced tóng chóu dí kài in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 同仇敌忾 literally mean?

Literally, 同仇敌忾 means “Share a common enemy, confront with indignation”. It is used to mean “to share a common hatred for the enemy”.

Where does 同仇敌忾 come from?

同仇敌忾 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 同仇敌忾?

同仇：共同对敌；敌：对抗，抵拒；忾：愤怒。指全体一致痛恨敌人。

同仇敌忾 — “To share a common hatred for the enemy”

同仇敌忾 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to share a common hatred for the enemy”. To be united in righteous indignation against a common foe. Literally, “Share a common enemy, confront with indignation”.

Frequency

同仇敌忾 Pronunciation and Pinyin

同tóng
仇chóu
敌dí
忾kài

同仇敌忾 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
同	tóng	6	same, together, with
仇	chóu	4	hatred or enmity
敌	dí	10	enemy or adversary
忾	kài	7	anger and resentment

Example Sentence with 同仇敌忾

面对突如其来的困难，研究团队成员们同仇敌忾，夜以继日地工作，最终找到了创新的解决方案。

Faced with sudden challenges, the research team members united in their resolve, working day and night, and finally found an innovative solution.

Origin and Story of 同仇敌忾

During the Spring and Autumn period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, a popular ballad circulated among the troops. It conveyed the soldiers' enthusiastic spirit in joining the army, their unity in confronting the enemy, their optimism, and their heroic resolve to defend their homeland. This ballad was divided into three sections and could be sung repeatedly. The first stanza went: "Who says we have no clothes? My battle robe is yours. The king raises an army for war; quickly mend the spears and swords. I will confront the enemy with you." The term "同仇" (tóng chóu, common enemy/hatred) originates from this ballad.

In 623 BCE, Ning Yu from the State of Wey embarked on a diplomatic mission to the State of Lu. Duke Wen of Lu hosted a banquet in his honor. During the feast, the musicians played "Zhan Lu" and "Tong Gong". Ning Yu immediately recognized these as the celebratory music performed when the Son of Heaven (the Zhou King) bestowed favors and commendations upon his feudal lords. For this reason, he offered no words of gratitude during the banquet.

Duke Wen was puzzled by Ning Yu's silence and, after the feast, privately inquired about the reason. Ning Yu explained, "In earlier times, feudal lords shared the Son of Heaven's indignation against the enemy, and thus offered their military achievements. To reward the feudal lords, the Son of Heaven would bestow red bows and perform 'Zhan Lu' at banquets, which was entirely proper. However, today our State of Wey has come to Lu to express friendship, yet Your Grace imitates the Son of Heaven's ritual for feudal lords by having musicians perform 'Zhan Lu' and 'Tong Gong'. Under these circumstances, I had no choice but to remain silent." The term "敌忾" (dí kài, confront with indignation) is derived from Ning Yu's words.

Idioms Related to 同仇敌忾

Synonyms of 同仇敌忾

tóng同chóu仇dí敌kǎi慨unite in common hatred against an enemy

Antonyms of 同仇敌忾

mài卖guó国qiú求róng荣betray country for personal gain

More idioms starting with 同

Questions about 同仇敌忾

What does 同仇敌忾 mean?: 同仇敌忾 (tóng chóu dí kài) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to share a common hatred for the enemy”.
How do you pronounce 同仇敌忾?: 同仇敌忾 is pronounced tóng chóu dí kài in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 同仇敌忾 literally mean?: Literally, 同仇敌忾 means “Share a common enemy, confront with indignation”. It is used to mean “to share a common hatred for the enemy”.
Where does 同仇敌忾 come from?: 同仇敌忾 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 同仇敌忾?: 同仇：共同对敌；敌：对抗，抵拒；忾：愤怒。指全体一致痛恨敌人。

Copy the pinyin for 同仇敌忾 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.